September 14, 2014: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Jesus said to Nicodemus:
“No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:13-17)

Reflection:

What’s the biggest change of all? I’d say, it’s our own death. Something it is really hard for anyone to imagine.

Yet in this Gospel we have Jesus talking about his own death. He talks about being “lifted up “which was a way people of his time talked about being crucified. Crucifixion was the Roman way of executing the death penalty. It was really horrible. Yet Jesus talked about it to his friends.

Most people are very uncomfortable if anyone talks about a terrible illness like cancer, or about losing an arm or leg, or about being crippled for life. We don’t want to even think about such things to someone we love or to ourselves.

In the fall of the year we see many changes; the trees look like they’re dying. This is something to think about and compare to Jesus’ death and the promised resurrection of spring. Keeping in mind the line in the gospel that I have seen written on the side of mountains: John 3:16 “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that we might not die but live.” What love Jesus has for each of us!

Action:

Thank Jesus and the Mother-Father God and the Holy Spirit for creating us out of Love, saving us from our sins, and teaching us to live happy and holy lives.